Twelve Indoor Ag Projects Receive Federal Grant Funding

Posted by Brian Sparks|March 29, 2023

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced funding of more than $9.4 million for 12 projects through the Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education and Extension Initiative. This initiative provides grants for research, education, and Extension work to solve key problems of urban, indoor, and emerging agricultural systems.

Awardees include researchers from the University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of California, Davis; Cornell University; University of Delaware; University of Florida; University of Illinois; Michigan State University; Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation; Ohio State University (two awards); University of Oregon; and University of Rhode Island.

These grants are part of a broad USDA investment in urban agriculture. For example, last week, USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) announced the availability of up to $9.5 million for Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2023. Meanwhile, USDA also offers other opportunities to partner on urban agriculture through grants and risk management education projects. Learn more at usda.gov/urban.

Among the projects receiving funding are:

Evaluating Controlled Environment Production Techniques in Urban Settings for Small-Scale Growers
Tailoring Hydroponic Factors to Controlled-Environment Production of Emerging Food Crops
Biological Approaches to Mitigate Biofilm-Associated Food Safety Risks in Indoor Leafy Greens Production
Integrating Urban Agriculture and Architectural Design Through Research, Education, And Extension

Click here to find the complete list of projects and to learn more about each of them.